


The Week the Earth Stood Still

by Shadhavar1126 (Chimera428)



Series: SuperCat Week 2 Summer 2016 Alternate Universes [1]
Category: Supercat - Fandom, Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Episode 12 Bizarro, Episode 13 For the Girl Who Has Everything, F/F, Liquid Kryptonite, SCW2, Supercat Summer 2016, Supercat Week, Supercat Week 2, Week 1 Challenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-07-29 01:06:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7664323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chimera428/pseuds/Shadhavar1126
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SuperCat Week 2 Day 1 - Canon Divergence AU </p><p>My Choices: Bizarro/For the Girl Who Has Everything </p><p>What if Bizarro had kidnapped Cat instead of James and Lord had a much heavier hand in trying to bring down Supergirl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“I love her.” Cat admitted, mostly to herself as Bizarro stepped closer and closer to her.  She wasn't so much an evil twin, not with a love lost expression like that.  More like a mistreated puppy, or like Lenny from Mice and Men. Surely she meant well but any examples of positive behavior or reinforcement had been warped and poisoned her mind, leaving her confused and as Cat studied her body language, almost childlike.   
  
“I love who she is.”  Cat swallowed, glancing down at the contraption around her chest before closing her eyes to it as she prayed Supergirl would find her in time.  “Because she's brave, because she's kind.” Cat opened her eyes and leveled them on the variant of her hero, taking note how much closer she was. “How she always tries to do the right thing.”     
  
Bizarro's boots scraped against the dirt of the ground as she drew closer, glancing down at the vest bound around Cat's chest and the way it made her insides feel.  She felt stronger, and knew exactly why Lord had made it available to her.     
  
“You can be like her,” Cat struggled against her bonds, causing her captor to sneer slightly until she stopped.  “You're not a monster, you have a choice here. Right now with me.”   
  
The woman tipped her head like a curious animal, coming within a few inches of Cat's face and studying her carefully as she set a hand on the center of Cat's chest.  “Not given choice.” Cat could tell she was struggling, with what she couldn't be sure but the muscles in her neck suddenly twitched and any hope Cat had of talking her way out died with Bizarro's instant stoicism.     
  
“Choice ignored.”  With that Bizarro flipped the switch on the vest starting the countdown timer as Cat's eyes widened.   
  
The threat of her life suddenly being over, Cat drew in a deep breath fueled on instinct, already seeing the snarl curl its way into Bizarro's face. “SUPERGIRL!” The end of her cry was shut down as the other woman out to try and silence the Cat with a firm hand around her throat.    
  
No more than a blink later and Kara was there launching the pair of super beings into a battle of opposites Cat was grateful she hadn't passed out for in order to witness.  What she couldn't wrap her head around presently was why Kara had allowed Bizarro to gain the upper hand.  The pair were floating fifty feet from the ground, Kara's hands locked around her twin's forearms while Bizarro had a sizable hold around Kara's neck.    
  
It wasn't until Cat heard a voice behind her, that she was able to see the familiar woman who had already once been through her office building with the Livewire incident.  She had a gun trained on the both of them and was currently shouting at not having a clear shot.     
  
“Just take that shot Alex!”   
  
Cat looked back as she heard the gunfire only to see Bizarro seize until Kara let her dead weight carry them both to the ground.  She sputtered for oxygen, gasping in deep breaths only to square herself up and turn her entire focus on Cat.  It made the woman swallow on pure instinct, and were she in any other situation she might roll her eyes at the cliched nature of it all.    
  
“Get her out of here.”  Kara demanded, flinging n arm towards Bizarro who remained prone on the ground as her point guard clamored down from the containers she had taken position on.    
  
Kara had already begun to stalk towards Cat, clearly fuels by adrenaline and Cat swore something else, only to come up short as the woman in black snagged Kara's bicep forcefully.  “Supergirl, you have to wait, we don't know what that'll-”   
  
“I know exactly what it is Alex, I can feel it from here.” Kara almost apologized for looking away, looking to her arm then back up at Alex. “I know what it will do, to her and to me.  Which is why you're going to take her and yourself out of here.”   
  
“I can't let you do-”   
  
Kara swore loudly in Kryptonese, pulling her arm free of the other woman's grasp before stepping into her space and dropping her voice so Cat couldn't make out her words.   
  
“I love her, Alex.” Kara admitted, glancing to the woman then back to her sister, her expression pleading as her tone softened. “I love her.  And there's not enough time for anyone else to get here who can diffuse that thing.”   
  
“Hank-”   
  
“Is still at the DEO, all we're doing is wasting time. Get her out, get behind something and let me do this.”    
  
Alex shifted her jaw, glaring hard at her sister before chancing a glance at Cat who for her part seemed rather content despite a bomb being strapped to her chest.  Though somewhere Alex figured Cat was merely in shock or just really good at internalizing everything.    
  
“I'm going to trust you.” Alex threatened around the sudden rise of emotion in her throat.  “You're not going to die today, because you won't let her live without you.  Or me, or mom.”  Kara blinked away her gaze, feeling her emotions burning through her chest at what she was willingly allowing herself to consider for someone who didn't even know who she really was.  Much less someone that could love her back.     
  
“And when you get out of here, you're going to tell her.  Or I will, after I throw you off that balcony of hers you always stop at on your patrols to prove it.”     
  
Kara nodded after a long moment. “Deal.”  Alex wrapped her up in a fierce hug before breaking away and not daring to look at her sister again as she grabbed Bizarro and fireman carried her clear of the building.    
  
“Everybody get behind cover!”  Alex shouted to the other agents on standby outside who rushed to help her with Supergirl's twin as they secured her for transport.  “We've got a bomb and I don't want anyone caught up in it.”   
  
Kara took a deep breath, telling herself over and over that she could do this before she turned and made her way to Cat.  Even contained the hum of the Kryptonite built into the bomb made her wince and Cat noticed it immediately.   
“Just pretend we’re having sex, you have plenty of time.”    
  
Kara almost tripped and fell right into Cat bracing herself on the scaffolding Cat was bound to. Cat was working hard to regulate her breathing and Kara noted she was just as terrified of dying as Kara was of seeing it happen.     
  
“This isn’t funny Cat.” Kara’s fingers trickled over the vest and wires attached to Cat, x-ray vision already in play to trace the wires.    
  
“I can’t see it.”  She stated, looking back up to Cat and blinking to normalize her vision.  “The vest is covered in lead plates.”  She glanced to the timer then back up.    
  
“Kara, breathe.  Follow the wires. There’s always a red wire and a blue wire right?”   
  
“This is not a movie.”  Kara swallowed hard, moving around the woman bound to the pole, the vest still ticking away.     
  
Cat licked her lips, trying to keep still and not panic even as Kara seemed to get more and more frustrated.    
  
“Just. Breathe.” She supplied, wringing her fingers together against her bonds.  “And think.”   
  
“I could try to freeze it but not with you attached.  I could-“   
  
“There isn’t time for a discussion.” Cat swallowed, the brevity of the situation pulling at her shoulders.  “I know you’re scared and worried, but not so much as me.”  She answered, looking at Kara as her fingers tracked over the wires again, the timer ticking down.    
  
“You don’t know what’s in this bomb do you.” Kara moved back from behind Cat, keeping back from the middle of the vest.    
  
“Only things that will kill me.” Cat pushed only to have Kara shake her head slightly.    
  
“It’s full of liquid Kryptonite.  Whoever did this knew I would try to save you.  This is too sophisticated for Bizarro.”  Kara drew her hands away, looking back up at the other woman, seeing all manner of life begin to drain from her face.

“Don’t.” Kara fought, her hands smoothing across Cat’s features until she shook her to bring her back into focus.  “I’m not going to let that happen.  Do you understand?”  Cat’s eyes were glassy and unfocused.    
  
“Cat!” She shouted and the woman shook her head slightly, blinking into awareness as tears slipped past her lashes.    
  
“Kara you have to go.” She spoke low and with an absolute conviction, looking past Kara into the future in her mind. “You have to get away; the world needs you.”  Cat blinked and focused on Kara properly, seeing everything written on her features and feeling her heart lock up in her throat.    
  
“I can’t.” Kara breathed, the edges of her mouth lifting despite the sudden overwhelming sadness that locked around her chest.  “Carter needs his mother. The rest of the world has to know and you’re the only one who can tell them.”     
  
“Tell them what?” Cat’s voice broke ever so slightly on the word, gaze searching the ones in front of her as Kara squared herself and moved closer.    
  
“That I love you, I think I have always loved you. You have to tell people that after all the pain and loss and everything that brought me to Earth, Cat you were the one that made me capable of feeling something like that again.  I should have told you before now, before this. Not convinced myself that just knowing I was capable of loving you was enough to be content with.  And I’m sorry I didn’t just tell you and let you fire me, then pursue you until you relented anyway.” 

  
“Kara don’t do this, don’t you dare make me responsible for thi-”   
  
Kara brought them together, kissing the other woman deeply until she felt her melt beneath her touch.  She apologized a thousand times over in her mind, willing the other woman to hear her as she kissed her impossibly deeper. She let go of Cat’s features,yanking her restraints free from Cat’s wrists just so she could feel the other woman’s fingers dig into her hair.  

  
As Cat kissed her back, trying to anchor herself with that grip Kara’s hands curled into fists around the vest.  In a burst of super speed tore the article from the other woman and pushed away from her in a rush of flight, breaking through the nearest wall away from the DEO agents outside, her sister, and from Cat only to be tossed aside carelessly with the explosion.


	2. Chapter 2

“What did you do?!” Alex shouted, shooting out another alarm as she advanced on Max's location within his lab, as he grabbed a vial of go only knows what and lobbed it at the woman. She ducked and stepped out of its trajectory easily, seeing smoke and hearing the hiss behind her as it ate through the ground. “Attempted assault on a government Agent..” She kicked a boot up, shoving the table he was behind into his body and sending all manner of tubes and vials and whatnots shattering to the floor.

He tried to scramble away, only to cry out when she put a bullet in his leg before stepping on it. “You think aliens should be feared?!” She holstered her weapon and turned him around, grabbing the front of his shirt and hoisting him up against a wall fueled on pure adrenaline. “You think my sister is terrifying?” She slammed him back for good measure, watching the back of his skull bounce and his eyes roll before he tried to blink himself back into full awareness.

“Meet the big sister.” She grabbed for his throat, cutting off his oxygen as a bullet hit the wall near her head, sending drywall into a fine dust but she refused to let go despite the man's struggles.

“Put him down!” The man boomed, drawing the hammer back on his gun for effect as he leveled it at her shoulder. “I won't ask again.” He counted to five, and when his finger pulled the gun was smacked upward, sending the round into the ceiling as Hank field stripped the weapon in a manner of seconds before other DEO agents filed into the room. The security officer relented as did others in the vacinity as Hank made his way to Alex and her struggling prisoner.

“Let him go Agent Danvers.”

“He killed Kara.”

Hank grabbed for her hands, not wanting to break her arm to get her to let go but he was considering it as Max continued to turn all manner of colors.

“ALEX!”

His true voice boomed, and Max panicked as he saw the red of the man's eyes before passing out and dropping to the floor as Alex let him go.

“Secure this, all of this, get a team in this whole buildling and if anyone asks tell them its under the purview of homeland security. I want a full employee list and everyone of them detained and questioned either here, their homes or brought to the DEO. NOW.”

Alex started to say thank you only to be spun around and pushed up against the wall herself, the sound of handcuffs racheting around her wrists triggering her fight, flight or freeze instints until Hank spoke again. “Don't fight me, you'll be lucky if you're still in the DEO after all that.” He growled, pulling her back and forcing her to walk with him as he escorted her out.

“Get that man medical attention and detain him, immediate DEO transport. Do NOT under any circumstance let him out of your sight.”

His orders were answered accordingly as he charged down the hall, Alex nearly tripping over herself as she tried to maintain his pace as he hauled her about and made for the nearest exit and fastest transport back to the DEO.

 

 

 

Kara sighed, sitting alone again in her room, looking out the window wondering why she was being sequestered yet again. Her curiosity had never gotten her into this much trouble, but the moment security forces had made their way into her home in order to speak to her mother about some kind of alien they had found she had snuck out and gone to find out more.

She wasn't sure what had compelled her so much until she actually caught sight of the woman who had been detained and was sitting on a bench guarded by two enforcers. She was older, which wasn't too alarming aside from the fact that Kara had never known a spy, as the guards had implied, to be over a certain age. She caught sight of her Aunt Astra, who was currently pulling the guards attentions, pulling them down the hall with her to inspect something else as was her right and Kara had taken it as an opportunity of fate.

Kara manuvered down the hall, the billow of her dress held up in her hand and rustling behind her as she snuck down the hall until she was almost close enough to touch the woman. She didn't look dangerous at all, certainly not a terrorist mastermind as was being implied, whih wasn't to say she didn't look as if she could hold her own that was evident in her expression as it turned and leveled on Kara.

She swallowed visibly, feeling her instincts of fight, flight or freeze kick in, the latter of the three claiming her as she sucked in a breath and waited. Cat for her merit simply raised a brow at her, taking her in before turning away to glance down the hall where the back of one of the enforcers stood paying her no attention.

“You're going to get caught.” She supplied and Kara actually edged closer.

“Might be worth it.” Kara answered, shrinking into the nearby doorway to keep from being seen as best as she could.

Cat let out a small laugh, glancing side long at the girl before looking straight ahead, no reason to get them both in trouble by bringing attention to the curious one. “Do you know what they're going to do?”

Kara shook her head, glancing to the hall then back. “No, they think you're some kind of spy or something.”

Cat hummed a laugh, the sound rich and full in her chest like a purr. “Or something.” She nodded slightly, before chancing another glance then looking straight ahead again. “What's your name?”

Kara hesitated, fingering the edge of her dress as a means to relieve some of her nervousness at the situation. “Kara, Kara Zor-El.”

“Pretty.” Cat supplied gently, before clearing her throat gently. “My name is Cat Grant, and this is either the best medicaly induced dream I've ever had or I'm not in Kansas anymore.”

“Kan-Kans-ass?”

“Yup.. okay. Uhm.. what is this place?”

“What? Here or oh the whole, uhm, Krypton.”

Cat nodded with emphasis, shifting her shoulders to try and ease the ache from them with the binds at her lower back keeping her in place. “Not Earth. Definately a bad dream.”

“You're from Earth?” Kara seemed amazed, and Cat equally so when she caught recognition alongside the awe in Kara's voice.

“Last time I checked. I don't even know how I got here.”

“My Uncle Jor-El, he, he's told me about it. I never thought, he never once said you were capable of making it to Krypton. He said it was primitive.”

“Do I look primitive to you?”

Kara straightened back some, watching Cat roll her shoulders again before she knealt down and carefully manipulated the binds at the woman's wrists. Her skin was warm and she smelt like something Kara should recognize but couldn't for the life of her place. It made her chest flush and her senses spiral into overdrive before she shook the sensation off.   
  
“Kara stop. You're going to get in more trouble than I'm worth.”

“You're not primitive, and everyone deserves a chance.”

Cat looked at her pointedly as she felt the bindings slip free of her wrists. “I could be lying.”

Kara swallowed, looking up at the other woman's eyes that reminded her of the Kryptonite mines and felt her breath catch before shaking her head slightly. “Then Rao strike me down if you are.”

Cat looked confused but for Kara it was as blasphemous as she'd ever been and it surprised her as more and more feelings she couldn't place, had no sense of reference for flooded over her.

“I don't even know where to go.” Cat allowed as Kara seemed to gravitate closer to her, eyes dropping to her mouth then back up again as she pushed the thoughts threatening her away. It would be so easy to take advantage of the youthful naievity staring back at her, but the level of reverence in her gaze, the willing compliance to go against her own people just to give her a simple fighting chance. It was too much.

“Follow the hall, lines in the tile, you can see colors yes.”

Cat nodded and Kara allowed a small smile to touch her lips.

“Follow the blue lines until you reach a large open space.” She reached into her dress, pulling out a small round disk and pushing it into Cat's palm. “Whatever you do when you get there, do not run, the first thing that comes up to you, show them this. Calmly, if you're telling the truth, it will know and you'll be fine.”

“And if I'm not.”

“It's going to eat you.” Kara said with absolute seriousness. “It'll take you some place safe. I promise.”

“What about you, you'll-”

“Be fine. Remember what I said ok?”

Cat nodded as Kara snagged the bindings, pulling them on herself before nudging Cat out of the way. To her surprise Cat was up in a heartbeat, looking to the floor as she caught sight of the lines Kara had mentioned and with one more fleeting glance tore down the hallway like her life depended on it.

When the enforcers returned later they were nearly plowed into the walls by the General who was quick to pry the bindings off her niece and send the pair scrambling in the opposing direction from which Cat had taken off from, giving her niece a knowing look before hauling her up and reprimanding her anyway as they made their way down the hall back to Kara's home and into what Astra informed her would be a lion's den once her mother got wind of what happened.

 

 

 

Cat let out a slow breath as she came to sit in a chair beside Kara, finally having been allowed in thanks to some call from their director once Kara had been patched up. She'd already been a part of so much and given how brazen Alex had been with her orders as far as she went awol and the director having to chase her down the other agents involved in whatever facility she was in had little choice but to allow her presence. Limited as it may have been, she had been privy to the cafeteria, which allowed her a bottle of water, and a washroom which had served to clean her face and allow for a good solid cry not only for how close she came yet again to dying but to the possibility of losing Kara.

Now she was much more composed, and reserved, even as she reached out and gently ushered Kara's newly cleaned hair from the bandages lining the side of her face. She caught the glint of a chain around Kara's neck as she did so, gently pulling it free of the line of her medical shirt and seeing the clasp locked around the pendant. She let out the softest breath of a laugh, easing the chain up to look at it before looking back to Kara.

“Make a wish.” She said softly, gingerly threading the pendant back around through the chain until the clasp was set along the back of Kara's neck before she let it rest back against the flat of her chest.

“I don't think anyone's listening to mine right now.” She allowed, pulling her chair closer before taking up Kara's hand in her own again. “Otherwise you'd be awake and with me right now. So I could shout at you, maybe even shake you to your senses about how stupid what you just did was. How you can't just say things like that and then go and do... this.” She swallowed hard, closing her eyes to push back tears and gently squeezing Kara's hand. “I will never get used to this.”

“No one does.” Cat jumped at the quiet yet warm voice behind her, turning to look at who had invaded the room only to find her hackles easing back at the sight of the blonde woman looking at the two of them, namely Kara with one she recognized in herself whenever she looked at Carter when he slept.

“Who?”

“You must be the infamous Cat Grant.” Eliza spoke, eyeing the woman carefully and how she refused to let Kara's hand go. “I'm her mother.” The woman supplied, slipping further into the room before closing the door behind herself quietly. “Hank, the director called me.” She sighed darkly, making her way to the other side of Kara with a solemn expression. “Mind if I sit?”

“No, my god no. I just.. she said everyone, she.” Cat cleared her throat. “I'm sorry I'm usually more articulate than that and you've caught me at a huge disadvantage here.”

“You're scared. It's alright.” Eliza smoothed the back of her hand across Kara's unbandaged cheek, thumbing the apple of it there a second after before looking over at Cat. “You're wondering how that's possible if her planet is gone along with everyone she ever knew?”

Cat nodded, glancing to Kara then back to the other woman. “I can't say I'm not curious.”

“Especially given what it is you do.”

Cat started to say something and Eliza just smirked. “She's talked about you a lot more than I think you could realize.”

The other woman let out a dark sigh of her own, looking back to Kara and feeling her heart swell and ache at the same time. “A bomb straped to my chest wasn't exactly the method of revelation I was looking for on that front.”

“Neither was she I'm sure, but Kara is, impulsive sometimes, to her detrement at others.” Eliza couldn't help the smile that reached her face. “She saved a family from a car crash when she was fourteen, because to her it was the right thing to do, not a single care given as to who found out about her or what she could do, even if her father and I were terrified after.”

“So you're human.”

Eliza chuckled softly. “Very.” She looked over at Cat, blue eyes seeming to cut her to the quick before she looked back to Kara. “And you've known who she really is for a lot longer than you've cared to admit to.”

Cat again started to protest but let the words die in her throat, she knew who Kara was long before now, had tried to convince herself otherwise, even pretended the little ruse she had attempted to throw her off with was real. Until her son had shown up and everything had started to go to hell, Kara had turned his advances down thank god, Cat was loathe to admit how her son's misplaced affections towards her assistant had actually made her jealous. Not that she'd ever admit it. It was so trite and wrong and -

“Cat? Can I call you Cat?”

“Hm? Wh-uhm, yes please, and-”

“Eliza. Danvers.” With the last name everything slid into place like a bullet in a chamber, sucking all the air out of the room and causing Cat to tighten her hold on Kara's hand as she shut her eyes to try and keep the room from spinning. It was one thing to suspect and convince and lie to yourself until the truth hit you so hard that there was no way to avoid it. “Do, do you want some water or?”

“No.” Cat husked, swallowing visibly before sniffling and then letting out a slow exhale to the ten count in her head. “No. It's just, today's been a rough day, and more and more just keeps coming.” She allowed, feeling Eliza's hand cover her own and Kara's before squeezing gently.

“I'm sorry. I really wished we would have met under better circumstances but-”

Eliza's voice trailed off, her attention pulled to the window of the door as she saw Alex being hauled down the hall by Hank. Sensing her disease Cat opened her eyes, twisting to follow Eliza's gaze as the other woman stood.

“What's wrong?”

“I don't know, but it isn't good.” Eliza was at the door a second later, shouting after Hank who merely shoved Alex around a corner before eyeing the woman calling him before disappearing as well. Eliza turned back to Cat, knowing Kara was in perfectly good hands until she could get back. “I'll be back, we'll talk more I promise.”

Cat nodded, unsure what was being thrown at them now as Eliza closed the door behind herself and clearly made her way after the two that had passed Kara's room. She drew in another deep breath, letting it out slowly as she looked back to Kara. “You have to come back, this is too much without you here to help me Kara.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

“ What did you think you were doing?!”

Kara started to respond only to be cut off again by her mother’s rants about her carelessness, that it was all Alura and Zor-El’s fault for having such a curious and trusting child until Astra intervened.

“ Enough Sister. You’re raving.”

“ But she-”

“ Could have, should and would have. You are not so innocent either. If you wish her punished then leave her with me. Then you can go back to your council and the rest while my compliment hunts this fugitive down.”

“ I don’t think that is so wise-”

“ Would you rather she stay here, pacing away alone for her mind to wander? She has seen the prisoner, heard their voice and would be the first to identify her when we find her. You long for a less willful child then stop treating her like one.”

“ How dare you.”

“ I dare as I see fit. She is long for this house and needs to make her place. She has seen your and Zor-El’s opportunities, it is time she saw what the rest of us in this family have to offer her lest she become a hopeless dreamer floating about this planet with no purpose.”

Alura looked shocked, Astra had always been adamant on Kara’s behalf, from when she was younger and clearly to now. Kara had never found a place in law or justice, even in the sciences they hadn’t peaked an interest she kept longer than a few weeks at a time. Alura hadn’t considered a military service, though it wasn’t unheard of, or too far a stretch from what she herself did, she just hadn’t seen that path for Kara. Of course there was another element entirely that Kara did seem drawn to and yet again Astra could prove to be the doorway to that opportunity. Astra was much like Kara when they were younger, artistic and passionate, curious and driven in her convictions. At the time Astra had been given the choice of her passion versus her duty, and for the sake of their dying father she chose duty.

Her younger sister had always been her protector, even after they had grown up, Astra had plowed her way through the ranks of the military and become one of Krypton’s most feared and beloved General’s and constantly placed herself near Alura or Kara’s sides. With Non eliminated, along with a few other generals and conspirators she was Kara’s constant guardian, even apparently at the vexation of Alura and Zor-El.

“You have enough on your hands, as does my brother with this fugitive without having to monitor her waywardness.” Astra glances to Kara as she and her sister continued to speak around her, thankful her niece knew when to take a hint and keep her mouth shut.

“She will be safe with me and with enough luck perhaps she will learn something in the way of caution and self-consideration when danger is clear and present.”  Astra knew she had her sibling convinced the moment she let out a deep breath, the justicar’s shoulders lowering slightly with her acquiescence.

“Take her then, perhaps she will be more apt to heading your words over mine.”

Kara let out her own huff of a breath, jaw shifting slightly at the two of them not sure what her Aunt was up to but it was significant.  She still felt something was far too out of place, her Aunt’s behavior being one of them, along with the nagging feeling that she wasn’t supposed to be here.  

“Kara?”  Pulled from her thoughts the woman looked to her mother who stepped nearer. “Perhaps we should take you to medical first, you could be relapsing with the fever-”

“I’m fine Mom I was just thinking.”

Alura still looked concerned before Astra neared. “Then how bout you think about changing, your something fitted and less likely to snag, I expect you to keep up you realize.”

Kara made another face before nodding, pushing up from where she had been previously relegated to for her verbal lashing and making her way to her room to change.

 

 

 

Cat swallowed hard, keeping herself as close to the wall as possible until she came upon the place Kara had told her about.  She looked at the object in her hand, not recognizing it for anything before edging inside the room only to have the door seal shut completely behind her.  Her fingers fought against the wall for the seam to no avail, she banged as quietly as she could muster along its solidity, trying to find some kind of hollow or weak spot. 

The hot breath that moved her hair and chuff of a noise directly behind her made her freeze completely and with a sharp breath of her own inward she was immediately aware of the rather primal scent filling the space she and whatever it was both occupied.

_ “The first thing that comes up to you show them this.”   _

Kara’s words rung like a bell in her head and with a careful effort she turned even as whatever it was that had approached her in the dark growled cautiously.  With a trembling hand she turned her palm up, the small rounded disk open as she lifted her arm and pressed her back against the wall.  

A whimper escaped her unbidden when she felt the hot press of something far larger than she initially imaged against her entire torso.  It breathed sharply, nudging her body and causing Cat to make another sound of discomfort before it nudged at Cat’s chin and shoved her head back into the wall with  small thump.  

Cat could hear the sound of claws striking the floor as the thing pulled its body closer, her hand felt almost wet with the humidity spreading out over it knowing the creature, whatever it was had its mouth open and around the air her hand occupied.  

There was a deeper growl off a sound then edged with a whine before the snapping of teeth occurred near her waist before Cat felt herself pulled away from the wall and deeper into the chamber before the room was flooded with a dim light and Cat’s lungs seized at the very real and very imposing figure of what could only be described as some kind of dragon.

The creature released her a second after, the top of its maw pushing at her hand before it dropped down onto all fours and bent its wings down, tail wavering behind it slowly.  

Cat make an almost choking sound as she remembered how to breathe and speak in the same instant before pulling that small disk back to her chest for something to cling to as her adrenaline continued to course through her.  

The creature whined at her again, snapping at the air in front of her before lowering even further to the ground.

“You’re kidding me..” She breathed, watching the thing almost seem to grow irritated with her, scootching closer and dropping the shoulder nearest her further.  “Okay no you’re not.”  She prayed to whomever was listening that she make it out of all this and since she hadn’t been eaten she could only assumed she passed whatever test this thing needed her to pass.

She was careful where she grabbed, pulling herself up slowly only to find herself gripping a hold tightly as the thing shook and straightened with an almost laugh of a sound. Satisfied, even if Cat was far from prepared for what exactly she was agreeing to the beast bounced across the floor until its stride evened out and its gait lengthened.

The chamber became a sort of long hallway, revealing all manner of other pens and creatures within the confines of what could only be described as a sort of stable.  Cat, leaned forward when she felt the strength of muscles along the creatures back spring to life and the snap of wings crack through the air only to find herself in a free fall as the hallway gave way to nothing but air.  

The pair of them fell through the air in a blur, of grey and metal until the creature pitched up and the two of them burst out of the tunnel they had taken.  The sky was lit up red, the  landscape similar to that of the grand canyon, assaulting Cat’s vision with all shades of red and orange and yellows until they seemed to drift far enough from the depths of those crags to allow more of Krypton to reveal itself to her.

The creature let out a deep roar of a sound, wings beating heavy against its body as it lifted the pair of them higher and higher into the sky and farther from the heart of the city.  Cat clung to scales and bone, careful of the ridges running along either side of the creature’s body where her knees dug into.

Within seconds a whole flock of the creatures surrounded them, undoubtedly shielding her from any scan or look out as they pitched and soared across Krypton.   Not once did Cat realize the disk in her hand had lit up, nor did she realize it was feeding the beast she was astride location commands.

 

 

 

Kara walked alongside her Aunt as if she had always been intended to end up by her side serving Krypton as the General’s second in command.  While she was sans the finer points of Astra’s light armor, the black bodysuit with her house crest gave no question as to where exactly Kara belonged in the hierarchy of Krypton society. 

Their strides were difficult to match, staccato rhythms reverberating through the halls as Astra dispersed guards and soldiers this way and that until it was just the two of them.  

“Where are we going?”

“You should know.” Astra allowed, reaching into the hidden inner pocket near her heart as they rounded another corner her communicator pulsing in her palm for Kara to see.

“You got-”

“Keep moving with purpose little one.”  Like that the communicator was gone again and Astra wove them both through hallways and passages while Kara tried to do as she was told and make it appear where they were going and what they were doing she had planned for.

“You’re a bigger risk taker than even I am apparently.”

“I knew you when you saw me, when you lead your men. You’ve always, -always- told me to trust my instincts, not to fight them.”

“And?”

“And my instincts are drawn to helping out the Earther woman.”

“Just like mine told me she’s not lying.”  Astra pressed her fingertips into an unusual pattern into the wall only to have the structure break away and open to her. “Come on little one, we need to get to her before A’rike decides he wants to play with her.”

“He wouldn’t.”

Astra shot Kara a look before ushering her into the hidden pathway, sealing the wall behind them.

“Just like no one would charge you and I both as traitors to our entire planet right now.”

“I didn’t..I-”

“Kara, you have got to think. I know I’ve told you never to fight your instincts, especially if you believe you are righting an injustice.  However, you have got to be more cognizant of the methods with which you commit yourself to.”

“Like you and Non.”  

Astra stopped sharply and Kara nearly ran into her only to have her arms caught in Astra’s grip before it eased as did the intensity of her gaze.  “Exactly. Another thing, and I mean this with everything I am, do not ever compromise yourself for the codex, duty or what others try to persuade you to believe is right to serve their means.”

The pair searched the other’s features for the longest moment until Kara felt something deep inside her break and surged forward, wrapping Astra up tightly, clinging to her as if her life depended on it. The weight she had felt when she first woke up from her fever settled into her chest again and she felt Astra’s hold tighten on her.

“We must hurry my Kara before it is too late.”


End file.
